The field of this invention is that of sockets or connectors for interconnecting printed circuit boards and the like and the invention relates more particularly to low insertion force connectors adapted for use in avionic applications.
Where conventional connectors have been previously used in cooperation with plug connectors to interconnect circuit boards in avionic applications and the like to meet very high performance standards, the connectors have sometimes been provided with contacts or conductors which provide resilient, four point contact with each i.c. terminal inserted into the connector. Such four point contact has typically been achieved by the use of carefully controlled spring forces so that the connectors have been adapted to receive terminals therein with modest insertion forces to provide reasonable terminal retention forces for use under selected shock and vibration conditions. Such known avionic connectors have typically included shrouds or the like for preventing the insertion of oversize terminals into the connectors to avoid damage to the spring characteristics of the connector contacts. Frequently, however, it has been difficult to provide connector contacts with suitably low insertion forces and suitably high terminal retention forces where mating male connectors having large numbers of terminals are to be mated with the receptacles of the connectors. It has also been difficult to provide shrouds or the like for excluding oversize terminals from the connector contacts at reasonable cost.